A retail owner looking to upgrade her retail computer system first ponders the question: "What is the best POS system for my business?" We think we have an answer to this question, but it may look at first surprising, unless you consider our reasons to believe so.
It’s not just that it is used by tens of thousands customers world-wide. It is not only because it is developed and supported by one of the biggest and oldest software development companies in the world which has a 20-year roadmap plan for future development.
And it is not that the support people who are certified to install and maintain the software are required to pass rigorous tests and keep their certification and customer references up to date otherwise they are not qualified any more.
It is not even because of the fact that the users have access to a special Web portal where they find news, downloads, tips and tricks and can communicate with other users.
And it is not just because the dedicated business technology specialists such as Retail Hero have the ability to support the customers anywhere anytime and are just mouse click away.
And it certianly is not because it is one of the least expensive retail management systems on the market.
It is because the software allows extending itself by the efforts of third-party software developers. That’s what really makes it great. That’s what really shows who’s going to win in the end.
Let’ look at the recent software history. Many great “black box” products of the past (i.e. completely proprietary, with no extending or customization capabilities) - though cherished and loved by the customers ended in oblivion while (may be) less user-friendly, but extendable products survived and thrived.
Examples are many. Microsoft Word, which in the beginning obviously sucked compared to WordPerfect but allowed developers to create thousands of add-ons and extensions, won the game. Apple has almost lost its market completely before they figured out how to make their platform software more customizable and programmable. Lack of development and customization options led Novell through series of purchases of products and development tools (not all of them smart) to eventual abandonment of their own native protocol and the core system in exchange for an open source operating software (which has its strength exactly in extendibility and customization options).
The same customizability makes Microsoft® Dynamics RMS (Retail Management System) so great. Unlike many other point-of-sale software (it’s only about 500 software titles are available in that category), Dynamics RMS has an API (Application Program Interface) and customization capability which allows third party developers such as Retail Hero, develop and independently market various add-ons which enhance the core functionality of the system.
POS software cannot survive without that because each individual store, even in the same retail vertical, is different. Small retailers need to compete with large box stores and other retailers, and the only way they can do that is to offer unique, specialized customer service and loyalty programs which their competitors do not have. As the customer’s loyalty is capricious, the reality of life may dictate new and different requirements every few months.
Some software vendors are trying to escape that trap by positioning their software as built “specifically” for a certain retail vertical. I.e., POS for sports stores, POS for apparel stores, POS for grocery stores etc. But the truth is that basic business rules are very similar if not identical in practically any retail industry, from a coffee shop to a public library (despite how different they may seem at the first glance).
As the basic rules are similar, it makes sense to use the same standard “base” software (which performs the universal functions such as customer checkout and other POS functionality and inventory control and management), and enhance it with necessary features such as specific loyalty programs, visual enhancements, operation optimizers and more.
Microsoft® Dynamics RMS is such a great base product. It can be equally successfully used at a grocery store, high end apparel store and even a restaurant. With additional enhancement such as the “Q-Rewards” loyalty program, it may be even better used at a pet food store or coffee shop. With an interface enhancement called Catalog View it may be better fit in a fast food venue or small restaurant or produce stand. With Back Order Presto Dynamics RMS’s ratio of success in a hardware, appliance or furniture store (those which deal with volume of back orders) goes up. Hero Points, Quick Tender, PIC-ME, TOP Import and other will enhance efficiency of retail operations in pretty much any retail store. As many millions of retail businesses are there, each of them creates business opportunity for both Microsoft, hundreds of certified RMS resellers and growing number of independent developers such as Retail Hero.
So, for us there’s no secret in who’s going to win the POS software war in few years from now. The question is whether or not you – a retail business owner – will chose to be on the wining side.
It is because the software allows extending itself by the efforts of third-party software developers. That’s what really makes it great. That’s what really shows who’s going to win in the end.
Let’ look at the recent software history. Many great “black box” products of the past (i.e. completely proprietary, with no extending or customization capabilities) - though cherished and loved by the customers ended in oblivion while (may be) less user-friendly, but extendable products survived and thrived.
Examples are many. Microsoft Word, which in the beginning obviously sucked compared to WordPerfect but allowed developers to create thousands of add-ons and extensions, won the game. Apple has almost lost its market completely before they figured out how to make their platform software more customizable and programmable. Lack of development and customization options led Novell through series of purchases of products and development tools (not all of them smart) to eventual abandonment of their own native protocol and the core system in exchange for an open source operating software (which has its strength exactly in extendibility and customization options).
The same customizability makes Microsoft® Dynamics RMS (Retail Management System) so great. Unlike many other point-of-sale software (it’s only about 500 software titles are available in that category), Dynamics RMS has an API (Application Program Interface) and customization capability which allows third party developers such as Retail Hero, develop and independently market various add-ons which enhance the core functionality of the system.
POS software cannot survive without that because each individual store, even in the same retail vertical, is different. Small retailers need to compete with large box stores and other retailers, and the only way they can do that is to offer unique, specialized customer service and loyalty programs which their competitors do not have. As the customer’s loyalty is capricious, the reality of life may dictate new and different requirements every few months.
Some software vendors are trying to escape that trap by positioning their software as built “specifically” for a certain retail vertical. I.e., POS for sports stores, POS for apparel stores, POS for grocery stores etc. But the truth is that basic business rules are very similar if not identical in practically any retail industry, from a coffee shop to a public library (despite how different they may seem at the first glance).
As the basic rules are similar, it makes sense to use the same standard “base” software (which performs the universal functions such as customer checkout and other POS functionality and inventory control and management), and enhance it with necessary features such as specific loyalty programs, visual enhancements, operation optimizers and more.
Microsoft® Dynamics RMS is such a great base product. It can be equally successfully used at a grocery store, high end apparel store and even a restaurant. With additional enhancement such as the “Q-Rewards” loyalty program, it may be even better used at a pet food store or coffee shop. With an interface enhancement called Catalog View it may be better fit in a fast food venue or small restaurant or produce stand. With Back Order Presto Dynamics RMS’s ratio of success in a hardware, appliance or furniture store (those which deal with volume of back orders) goes up. Hero Points, Quick Tender, PIC-ME, TOP Import and other will enhance efficiency of retail operations in pretty much any retail store. As many millions of retail businesses are there, each of them creates business opportunity for both Microsoft, hundreds of certified RMS resellers and growing number of independent developers such as Retail Hero.
So, for us there’s no secret in who’s going to win the POS software war in few years from now. The question is whether or not you – a retail business owner – will chose to be on the wining side.
